1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a check processing system, printing apparatus and a reading apparatus for the check processing system. More particularly, this invention is concerned with a printing apparatus for printing payment information on a check with a symbol such as a two-dimensional symbol, a reading/printing apparatus for reading the symbol and printing magnetic ink characters on a check, and a check processing system employing the apparatuses.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the United States and Europe, personal checks have been widely used as a means of payment. FIG. 1a shows an example of a form 101 widely adopted as such a personal check. On form 101, a date-of-issuance blank 102, a payee blank 103, a payment amount blank 104, and a signature blank 105 are defined. In the lower part 106 of the form 101, a bank number, account number, and check number are printed with magnetic ink characters (MIC).
With regard to an approach to printing magnetic ink characters in part 106, standards are already common place. The standard adopted mainly in the United States is the E13B standard, and the standard adopted in France is the CMC7 standard.
Using the information printed with magnetic ink characters in part 106, the validity of the check can be verified. A reading machine for reading magnetic ink characters is already being widely used. The reading machine is often referred to as an MICR (magnetic ink character recognition) reader.
A procedure which has previously been adopted to conduct business using such a personal check is described below.
(1) A consumer fills in the date, the payee, the payment amount, and his/her own signature on a check form like the one shown in FIG. 1a.
(2) The consumer hands the filled-in check (FIG. 1b) to an appropriate person at the payee's shop.
(3) At the shop, some transaction information is written on the check (usually on the back) in order to endorse it. This work is achieved by handwriting or by utilizing a stamp or slip printer.
(4) A receipt is handed to the consumer at the shop, and the check is sent to a processing facility.
(5) At the processing facility, a payment 107 is printed on the check with magnetic ink characters. The appearance of such a printed check is shown in FIG. 1c.
(6) The check is processed in accordance with a settlement system at a bank. The payment specified with magnetic ink characters is paid into the account of the payee (shop).
In the past, the task of printing payments on checks with magnetic ink characters has often been centralized in a processing facility (input center) for inputting the payment amount, or the like. This is because a printer capable of printing magnetic ink characters is so expensive that one is usually not installed at each cashier lane in each shop. As for the task itself, an operator in the processing facility visually reads the handwritten payment amount, enters the payment amount at a keyboard terminal so as to issue a command to a magnetic ink character printer to print the payment amount on the check with magnetic ink characters.
Thus, according to the above-mentioned procedure, a consumer handwrites a payment amount on a check, and an operator visually reads the payment amount. The operator then inputs that amount to a magnetic ink character printer using a keyboard. As a result, human errors are likely to occur. These errors are not only difficult to prevent but are also particularly problematic in that the amount to be paid is the most important of all the information on a check. Another problem is that this increases both the time required for the processing and the costs including personal expenses.
If a printer capable of printing magnetic ink characters in conformity with a typical standard could be installed at each cashier lane, a procedure could be adopted in which payment amounts are printed in advance with magnetic ink characters at the shop, and consumers are then asked to sign their names. In reality, however, since such a printer is very expensive, this procedure has problems in terms of cost.